CLEVELAND -- Oswaldo Arcia's two-run homer capped Minnesota's four-run fourth inning against Trevor Bauer, and the Twins dented Cleveland's playoff hopes with a 4-3 victory on Tuesday night.

The last-place Twins won for just the fourth time in 16 games.

Minnesota rookie Trevor May (2-4), who entered with a 9.38 ERA, limited the Indians to just two runs in five innings.

Arcia's homer off Bauer (5-8) made it 4-2, and the Twins hung on despite doing nothing else against the right-hander. Bauer gave up just four hits -- all in a row with two outs in the fourth -- over eight innings. He walked one and struck out eight.

Minnesota's bullpen combined for four scoreless innings, with Jared Burton, filling in for injured closer Glen Perkins, working the ninth for his second save.

The Indians came in five games out of first in the AL Central, and blew a chance to make up ground in the division or wild-card chase. With the schedule entering its final three weeks, Cleveland can't afford many more losses and certainly not to one of the league's weakest teams.

Bauer dominated every inning except the fourth, when the Twins tagged him for the four runs on four consecutive two-out hits -- the last Arcia's two-run homer.

In the first, Bauer walked leadoff hitter Jordan Schafer but then picked him off first. He then retired 10 straight before Joe Mauer dropped a double to left. Kennys Vargas followed with an RBI double and Trevor Plouffe's run-scoring single tied it at 2.

Vargas slid awkwardly into home and had barely walked down the dugout steps when Arcia unloaded on Bauer's first pitch, driving it into the seats in right-center for his 16th homer.

Cleveland wasted a couple scoring chances before closing to 4-3 in the eighth on Yan Gomes' RBI single, but pinch-hitter Jason Giambi flew out to left to end the threat.

The Indians staked Bauer to a 2-0 lead in the second inning off May, who picked up his first major league win last week against the White Sox.

Carlos Santana singled and Jason Kipnis, who has struggled all season, doubled before Lonnie Chisenhall's groundout made it 1-0. Kipnis boldly took third on the play and scored on Gomes' sacrifice fly.

The Indians failed to take advantage of May's two walks to open the fourth. Cleveland threatened again in the seventh on a pair of two-out singles, but left-hander Brian Duensing retired Michael Brantley on a routine fly.

 

Eduardo Escobar, Minnesota Twins and Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Indians
Jason Miller/Getty Images
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